It's been coming for a long time, and we've been writing about it for a long time here at the New Construction Manhattan blog, but it's not without some sadness that we bring news of what appears to be the demise of the buyer's market in NYC condos. This isn't to say that great deals on NYC condos can't be found -- they're still very much out there, if you know where to look -- but a recent report from the Wall Street Journal confirms what previous intimations have suggested. Namely, that prices for Manhattan condos are finally climbing from their historic lows, and that the market for high-end Manhattan condos is rallying especially hard. For NYC real estate watchers, it's good news to see the market getting healthy again. For those looking for NYC condos, though, it can be cause for consternation. How concerned should you be if you're searching for a Manhattan apartment? Not as concerned as you might think, thankfully.

Just last week, we discussed the impact of the expanded 7 train -- which will have a new terminus in West Chelsea come 2013 -- on real estate in West Chelsea and Clinton. It's really not hard to figure all that out -- condos in Chelsea would become significantly more valuable were they suddenly to be a short walk from a subway that connects them to the rest of Manhattan. The same would be true for condo listings in Clinton, which is why NYC real estate developers are lobbying so hard for an additional 7 train stop at 41st Street and 10th Avenue. While we at New Construction Manhattan love us some Chelsea condos and Midtown West apartments, it's probably fair to say that the planned 7 train expansion is small potatoes compared to the opening of the long-awaited Second Avenue Subway line. While it hasn't hurt the market for or value of Upper East Side condos, one of the downsides to life on the UES is that the entire Upper East Side is served by just one subway line, which can make for some unappealing rush hours.

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live in The City, but be able to avoid the hustle and bustle that goes on outside of most New York City apartment buildings? Sounds good, does it not? Living in Battery Park City would take that ridiculous imagination of yours and turn your dreams into reality. The Riverhouse (in Battery Park), under new ownership since March, adds some umph to New York City living. The Riverhouse’s amenities are great. With a lap pool, children’s playroom, outdoor terrace and park, yoga studio, billiard’s room, media café, and fitness center, this Battery Park City apartment building fulfills the needs of all of its residents. Rockefeller Park--which is right in the Riverhouse’s backyard--provides residents with a great area to spend time outside, watch ferries go by on the Hudson River, go for a run, or bring the kids to one of several play areas. It would be difficult to find a more relaxing New York City neighborhood. The Riverhouse’s most amazing amenity, by far, is it’s backyard. The Hudson River runs just steps from the building and many Riverhouse apartments have a stunning river view of the Statue of Liberty and Midtown Skyline.

New York City and New York City real estate have a way of focusing the mind -- this is a tough town, as you might've heard, and an interesting one. For those of us who care about NYC and the market for NYC condos, the ebbs and flows of the Manhattan real estate scene can come to seem like the most important news in the world. If you're searching Manhattan condo listings, it might well seem like it, but the national real estate market is plenty interesting in its own right.

Ah, the New York City condo scene -- it's chaotic, but it does at least keep the New Construction Manhattan blog busy enough. Of late, you might've noticed a number of posts suggesting that the market for NYC condos is heating up after a long recession precipitated a buyer's market in Manhattan condominiums. What has been anecdotal for the past few months got a little bit more quantified thanks to a study by NYC real estate researchers Radar Logic which showed NYC condo transactions rising an astonishing 146 percent over the past year.

It's tough to cover Manhattan real estate without a little bit of hyperbole making its way in -- Manhattan condos are something like a hype-driven economy, after all, and while there are certain basic real estate truths, NYC real estate is essentially always in flux. When the economy is good, things in Manhattan real estate are good; when the economy is bad, things are less good. "Good for whom" is the question that probably matters most to you, and right now the answer is still, "Good for condo buyers."

If you're a regular reader of the New Construction Manhattan blog, this is not the first time you're hearing about , a LEED Gold-hopeful condominium in Battery Park City. And if you're not a regular reader of the New Construction Manhattan blog...this is still probably not the first time you're hearing about The Riverhouse, a LEED Gold-hopeful condominium in Battery Park City. With a list of celebrity residents -- Leonardo DiCaprio and Tyra Banks, for starters -- and the unofficial title of the greenest of NYC's green condo listings, The Riverhouse is, as a great newscaster once said, kind of a big deal. Whatever controversies beset it going forward, The Riverhouse's position as one of the most desirable condo listings in Battery Park City is not likely to change. But a new lawsuit filed against The Riverhouse's developers doesn't look all that good.

There are a lot of things to miss about the heyday -- it was only just a few years ago, although it feels much longer -- of NYC real estate. There was a time when new construction condos in Manhattan came on the market every week, when the streets rang with news of rezoning and new construction and condo conversions and so on. It was... honestly, probably a bit much, and not nearly as great a time to find a condo for sale in Manhattan as today's more chilled-out real estate climate. But the market is turning itself around as we speak, and proof is everywhere you look, both on the and elsewhere. But if you need proof that the grandiosity of old is returning to Manhattan real estate, look no further than the news that condo developer Extell and star architect Christian de Portzamparc just announced plans to build the tallest condominium in Manhattan at 57th Street and 7th Avenue in Midtown West. Hurray?

Hope buyers of Tribeca Space didn’t hold their breath since March 2006 when the converted condos at 25 Murray Street initially went on sale, selling out in a New York minute. Those who purchased the loft apartments for sale at Tribeca Space have been waiting for the converted building to receive the temporary certificate of occupancy, the golden ticket for closing sales in real estate. Well, not really as 40% of the initial buyers withdrew their contracts from Tribeca Space. Of the 74 apartments for sale in Tribeca Space, 28 have become up for grabs and 10 of the apartments for sale are being offered at 5-10% discounts and the rest will be available for purchase after Memorial Day. While it is currently the best time in the increasingly better market to buy, Tribeca Space seems to finally have its timing right; it has been granted its temporary certificate of occupancy by the Department of Buildings and is on its way to scheduling closings, if nothing else gets in its way.